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round free standing loaf

January 1, 2012 - 9:07am

rocky_creek@hug...

round free standing loaf

I'm so new I don't even know what to call it. Just got started and my breads baked in a loaf pan are doing great. At some point I want to try one of those big round free standing loafs. I would guess that the dough must be stiffer than what I am using in the loaf pan. Can you point me toward where to learn about these loaves? Thank you.

Buy the bread cookbook "Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery". It is my bread bible, I also left it back in Washington state, so last week ordered a used one on Amazon. The book will give you great ideas and the best sourdough starter, I have had the same one going for five years or more.

Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" is also a great introduction to all types of breads. In general, free standing loaves, (which I believe Mr. Reinhart calls "hearth loaves") are actually wetter, slacker doughs than pan loaves. Their ability to stand up on their own depends on shaping technique. There are a lot of helpful posts on shaping here on TFL. The search function is a valuable resource.

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